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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — to eat
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. field — a subject
  17. key — in music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com